The Crush
by camilla1
Summary: COMPLETE. Some third season spoilers, a crush, a homecoming dance, and other stuff! Some chapters edited. R/J all the way!
1. The Crush

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, though I wish I owned Jess. Just trying to write some fan-fiction.  
  
SPOILERS: Season two through the season premiere and some third season spoilers as well.  
  
A/N: Wrote this in one sitting. It's my first fan-fiction! Let me know what you think!  
  
The CRUSH  
  
Rory couldn't sleep. She had broken up with Dean two weeks after she got back from Washington. As much as she wanted to concentrate on making their relationship solid once she returned, it just wasn't possible. It felt dishonest. And she didn't even tell him about the kiss, because it didn't matter. Her heart just wasn't in it anymore. In a way, it felt good to be without a boyfriend again. She could be in complete control of how she spent her time without worrying about Dean feeling neglected or jealous.  
  
At night though, her thoughts drifted to Jess. It's how she had become accustomed to trying to sleep while she was in Washington. She'd rehearse what-if situations in her mind until she finally would fall asleep. But now things were different. She had seen him with Shane and watched from a distance. Their friendship had simply come down to brief greetings at the diner. She seemed to ride a rollercoaster of emotions, sometimes finding herself staring at him with intense want, and at other times, finding him so despicable she would go out of her way to avoid him. But at all times, if there were ever even the opportunity to run into him, she now found herself paying a little more attention to how she looked and became a little nervous at the mere prospect of seeing him. For the first time in her life, Rory Gilmore had a huge crush on someone who didn't even seem to notice her.  
  
But Jess noticed her. He had always noticed her. And even though he had Shane now, he still noticed Rory. She'd been wearing lip gloss the last few times he'd seen her which just made her lips that much more irresistible. And though her wardrobe was always modest, covering most every inch of her body, she'd now sometimes unbutton two buttons at the top of her shirt rather than one.  
  
There was definitely tension between them that neither knew how to approach. He had no idea he had occupied most of Rory's thoughts while she was away. Rory had come to believe that Jess was over her when he had moved on to Shane. But she somehow could not bring herself from being cordial to being his friend. She was so strongly attracted to him and just the thought of the brief kiss they shared at Sookie and Jackson's wedding made her weak.  
  
Lane had been her personal cheerleader for the last couple of weeks. First encouraging Rory to break up with Dean and now even offering to help Rory steal Jess from Shane. But how could she compete with the gorgeous blonde? She was beautiful, sexy hair, perfect lips, and a body any guy would love to get their hands on. And if that couldn't turn on a guy by itself, she even could talk cars. Rory cringed when she would see Shane and Jess together making out. Not so much because it was another girl he was with, but because of how passionate he looked when he was kissing her. It made her want him even more. So now that Lane had a new boyfriend, she was determined to get Rory and Jess together. To Lane (and any other outside viewer), given the choice between Rory and Shane, anyone in their right mind would choose Rory.except Rory. 


	2. The Dance

THE DANCE  
  
Rory's spirits had gotten better over the last few weeks. She surprisingly found herself throwing a lot of time into her new position as VP of the student body at Chilton, leaving only time for her homework, and of course, late night heart-to-hearts with her mom about dad and sherry's pregnancy. The Stars Hollow High Homecoming Dance was only a month away. Rory loved Chilton, but she did miss all the hype about school dances at SHH. Lane had planned on meeting her boyfriend, Chris, at the school but told Rory she wouldn't go unless Rory agreed to double with one of Chris's friends, Matt. This, of course, Lane devised only after hearing through the Stars Hollow grapevine that Jess had been roped into going with Shane after losing a bet. Rory, being completely oblivious to Lane's intentions, agreed not unwillingly. Maybe getting dressed up for a dance and seeing some old friends at SHH would be just what she needed.  
  
She and Lane started dress shopping that weekend. Lane's mom had already picked out a very conservative dress for her which Lane had every intention of wearing.to Rory's house where she would then change into the knockout dress she planned on buying. Lane found the perfect dress at the first shop. It was a deep red velvet dress with a low-cut back that hit right above the knee. Rory found a dress on sale at the third store, and though it was a little more revealing than she felt comfortable in, Lane assured her it looked great on her. To be honest, Rory actually felt a little sexy in it. And it was on sale afterall. Lorelai might not have even been able to get the fabric for that cheap.  
  
The Night of the Dance.  
  
After Lane had changed at the Gilmore's residence into her new, red dress, put on her make-up and pinned up her hair, she and Rory were pretty excited. Chris and Matt actually came to pick them up from the Gilmore's home, and just as the girls heard the knock at the door, Lorelai had finished pinning up Rory's hair. Lorelai opened the door, greeted the boys, and proceeded to talk their ears off. When Rory and Lane came down the stairs, both guys immediately centered their attention behind Lorelai who finished her sentence, smiled, and then stepped to the side. Lane flung herself at Chris in a warm embrace, afterwhich he stood back and told her how beautiful she looked. Rory introduced herself to Matt who still seemed a bit awestruck. He was tall with a fair complexion, dark hair, blue eyes-quite a handsome guy with impeccable manners. Little did Rory know that Lane had filled in Matt on his role in trying to get Rory back together with Jess. Rory was wearing a long, black, fitted dress with thin spaghetti straps complimented by a deep red lipstick which her mom had suggested. She felt beautiful for the first time in a long time. She kissed Lorelai good-bye and promised to be home by midnight.  
  
Matt opened the door for Rory as she stepped out of the car. He knew he was supposed to make this Jess character jealous, and to be honest, he didn't think he'd have to try too hard. In the brief time he had spent with Rory, Matt already knew she was smart and beautiful, and if Jess couldn't see that, well then, maybe Matt could be her new arm candy.  
  
There was a lot of excitement in the air. As they approached the school, they could hear music and giggling. Matt held out his arm for Rory to loop her hand through. They made their way inside with Chris and Lane falling behind as Lane stopped multiple times to introduce Chris to her cheerleading squad. Rory really liked Matt. He was easy to get along with, definitely not bad to look at, and genuinely just seemed like a nice guy. They danced to several songs before a slower song, "She," by Elvis Costello started to play. Matt looked Rory straight in the eye and seductively asked, "Would you care to dance?" She smiled and willingly placed her arms around his neck and soon after, closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. When she looked up, she caught her breath as she saw a familiar dark-haired guy walk in with a tall-blonde in a tight, short, black dress wrapped possessively around him. Their eyes locked. "You okay?" asked Matt. 


	3. The Deal

THE DEAL  
  
Rory turned back to her date, "Yeah, um, I'm sorry.I'm sort of trying to get over someone. who just walked in with his girlfriend," Rory bashfully replied.  
  
Matt looked in the direction of the doorway. 'So that's Jess,' he thought to himself, 'lucky guy.' He took a deep breath, "How badly do you want him?" Matt looked at Rory with a sly grin.  
  
"What?" Rory replied in disbelief.  
  
"I said how badly do you want him? Look, Rory, I think you're a great girl, and I'd be lying if I said the thought of kissing you hasn't crossed my mind. But.if you have it in for some other guy, you've got to let me help you," he managed to bluntly spit out.  
  
'Is this guy for real?' Rory thought to herself.  
  
"Come on, Rory. It'll be fun.honest. Absolutely no hard feelings on this part. What do you say, shall we?" He raised an eyebrow.  
  
She smiled, a big smile, "Okay.but only if you let me help you out when the tables are turned."  
  
"Deal," and they shook hands.  
  
Jess stopped in his tracks when he saw Rory. 'It couldn't be. What is she doing here? Rory.with another guy, and she's got her head on his shoulder, dancing. Look at her. I've never seen her look so beautiful.'  
  
Shane observed the look between Jess and Rory. "Jess? What's the deal? Who is she?" She asked accusingly.  
  
"Huh? Uh, nobody. No one. Come on, let's dance." He pulled her onto the dance floor as the music kicked up. One of the few pleasant childhood memories Jess could recall were the dance lessons with his mother. In her earlier years, she had been a dance instructor, which after all the alcohol and men, had somehow turned into dancing at strip clubs. Though no one would have guessed it by watching him pass in the hallways at school, he was a natural when it came to dancing. Shane could definitely hold her own on the dance floor, and she knew it. The looks she got from the guys in the high school gym were returned with her sultry roaming eyes.  
  
Rory and Matt decided to sit out the song. He grabbed two cups of punch and sat with Rory at one of the tables. She couldn't take her eyes off of Jess and Shane. "Care to share your thoughts?" He asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, Matt. I just.well.look at her. She's gorgeous. I couldn't possibly...I can't dance like that." She sighed, then quickly looked down when she noticed Jess returning her stare. Matt looked at Jess, and the two seemed to look the other over before giving their attention back to their respective dates.  
  
"Do you trust me?" Matt asked. Rory smiled, and he whispered in her ear. Before she knew it, he was kissing her gently behind her ear. She was stunned at first, even though she heard the warning coming seconds before it happened. Matt slowly brought his lips up to Rory's, and somehow without even trying, Rory deepened the kiss and was embarrassed when a small moan came from the back of her throat. She found herself running her hands through Matt's hair while he pulled her onto his lap. When they broke apart, they just stared at each other not breathing.  
  
Jess stopped dancing as he watched Rory lead her date out to the courtyard, her date's hand wrapped around the small of her back. In his mind, he was starting to panic. Shane was so absorbed in the music and the attention she was grabbing on the dance floor that she didn't even notice Jess leave.  
  
In the courtyard, Matt found a picnic bench and sat down. Rory sat down next to him. He took his hand and gently swept a strand of hair out of her face. His hand lingered along her ear and lightly glided along her shoulder to slip off one of the straps of her dress. He slowly bent down and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. Rory closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Neither could tell what was happening. It all started out as a game to get Jess back, but now neither was sure what was real and what was part of the act.  
  
"Get your hands off her!" Rory and Matt jumped.  
  
"Jess?" Rory called out. She recognized the voice but couldn't see him immediately. When he came into full view, he looked angry and hurt.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" Matt stood up calmly.  
  
Jess ignored the question. "Rory, what are you doing with this guy?"  
  
"Uh, Jess.this is Matt, my date. Matt, this is Jess." For the second time that night, the two guys looked the other over. "Jess, we were just, um.well, why do I have to explain myself to you? What do you care?" She took Matt by the hand, "Come on, Matt, they're playing a slow song, let's go."  
  
Jess hung his head. 'What had come over him? What was Rory thinking? God, she looks beautiful tonight.' He quickly snapped back from his thoughts and ran to catch up with the couple. Just before Rory and Matt entered the gym, Jess caught Rory's arm, "Rory." Startled at first, she turned around and looked into his deep, sincere eyes.  
  
"Matt." She started, but didn't have to continue. Matt nodded, smiled, and headed into the school gym.  
  
Rory and Jess, for the first time in what seemed an eternity, were alone together. "Crash," by Dave Matthews was playing in the background, and the dance was in full-swing inside. Neither said a word for a while. Finally, Jess broke the silence, "You look incredible."  
  
"Thank you." Rory blushed. She stood leaning against the wall. "So Shane is quite a dancer. You two look great out on the dance floor. Where'd you learn how to dance like that?"  
  
Jess ignored her question. He was too nervous for small talk.  
  
"Okay, not going to answer the question, are you?" Rory spoke more to herself than anything else. She finally got up the courage to look straight at him. He was looking down though, his face unreadable.  
  
When he looked up at Rory, Jess's eyes were dark and pained. If he cried, his tears were dry. This was a guy who couldn't cry, didn't know how, but in his eyes, if she looked deeply, she could see that he was crying on the inside. She took a step toward him and slowly wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. He bent his head down over her shoulder and let out a sigh. They stayed that way for a while. When they broke away, his lips brushed across hers. Their faces only inches apart, Rory made the next move and took his bottom lip in her mouth. Their kiss deepened until Jess had pressed Rory up against the wall behind her. Rory could feel his excitement against her body and let out a whimper. His hands held her hips against his and he planted soft kisses along her neck and shoulders. She felt dizzy. He made his way back up to meet her lips with his, and when he broke away, her eyes were still closed and her lips still parted as if she were suspended in the moment. Her breathing was irregular, and she felt faint. Jess gently rested his forehead against hers, "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered.  
  
Lane, Chris, and Matt all gave each other high-fives as they stood at the doorway watching Rory and Jess. 


	4. Dating Jess

DATING JESS  
  
When Rory had talked to Lorelai about dating Jess, she was surprised at how well her mother had taken it. Rory hadn't realized how worried Lorelai had been about her recent state of glum. What Lorelai feared though was the description of how Rory felt about Jess. "Mom, I can't explain it. When I'm not with him, I'm thinking about him. When I'm with him, I still can't get enough of him. He makes me feel.alive. He makes me feel smart and beautiful.and.sexy." Rory had bit her lip at this last adjective, and Lorelai gave a sigh. She knew how she had felt about Christopher when she was sixteen, and having an overbearing mother whom she was afraid to ask for birth control did not help her situation then. Rory protested the thought of the pill at first, stating that she and Dean were together for over a year without doing much more than kissing, to which Lorelai quickly asked, "Yeah, but did you ever feel for Dean what you feel for Jess?" Rory was silent, and the next day she and Lorelai went to the doctor's office.  
  
A month later.  
  
Lane, Chris, Matt, Rory, and Jess had been spending a lot of time together since the night at the dance. Jess was shocked at first when he heard of Matt's role in getting Rory and him back together, but then had to laugh about it. He and Rory had spent most of their time at the book store, at book fairs, music stores, and on the bridge debating. But to Rory's surprise, Jess had not even attempted so much as a kiss since that night.  
  
"Bye, hon! Have fun making out with Jess. There's a pack of condoms in the drawer in the kitchen! Don't forget to use them!" Lorelai was going away for the weekend with Sookie, something about a bed 'n' breakfast convention in Vermont. Rory groaned. If only her mother really knew that after that huge discussion about the pill and protection and emotional baggage, she and Jess had not even shared a kiss!  
  
It was Friday afternoon, and after seeing her mother off, Rory headed to the diner to see Jess. She walked in and saw him refilling the napkin holder. The diner was nearly empty. He smiled at her and moved to grab the pot of coffee. Rory sat down on the nearest barstool. "Hey," she smiled.  
  
"Hey," he replied looking deep into her eyes.  
  
:"What are you doing later tonight?" She asked.  
  
"Something with you?" he smiled.  
  
"How about movie night at my place?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Sounds good, my shift ends in a couple of hours. I can bring over dinner if you want to pick out the movies."  
  
"Deal," she replied as she gulped down her mug of coffee. "See you then!" She was nervous all of a sudden. She and Jess, alone in her house. 


	5. Movie Night

MOVIE NIGHT  
  
6:15 p.m. Friday night at the Gilmore residence.  
  
There was a knock at the door. Rory was in her room putting on lip gloss. She slipped on a button-down shirt and a pair of shorts, the third outfit she'd tried on in the last hour. She unbuttoned the second button on her shirt, sighed, looked in the mirror and went to answer the door. She paused for a moment before turning the knob. 'Calm down, Rory. Why do you have to make this so hard?' "Hi, Jess!" she managed to say a little more excitedly than she meant to.  
  
"Hey," he smiled suspiciously.  
  
"I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for, so I rented four different movies. Any thoughts? Ooh, food! What did you bring me?" Rory squealed.  
  
"Where's your mom?" Jess asked as he set the food down in the kitchen.  
  
"Um.she's not here.actually she's out of town.for the weekend." Rory stated quietly. She could feel her cheeks burning up.  
  
Jess turned around, smiled, and raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"  
  
It was about 9 p.m. Jess was sitting on the couch with Rory's head in his lap. The credits were rolling, and Jess got slowly to turn off the TV. "Well," Jess says awkwardly, "I should probably get back. I know how your mom feels about me being in the house with you alone, and I don't want to get you in trouble." He started to head for the door. Rory quickly got up and followed him into the hallway.  
  
"Jess, wait!" She caught his arm, and he turned around to face her. "Umm.I just wanted to say that this was fun.I really enjoy spending time with you."  
  
"Me too," he looked down avoiding eye contact.  
  
"Can I ask you something then?" Rory said quietly. He knew what was coming, and it made his stomach turn, but he nodded anyway.  
  
"You know that part in the movie where Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas are um, you know when he buys her a new outfit, and they go dancing and then.it's right before they find the stone.um.do you ever.do you ever think about that kind of thing, you know, with me?" She asked, her voice shaking.  
  
Jess looked her straight in the eye, his eyes serious and deep, "Of course, all the time."  
  
"Oh, okay," she replied somewhat relieved, "Well, I was just wondering.I mean, I hope you don't think that I don't enjoy everything that we do together because I really do, all the music stores and book fairs, and the great conversations. It's been great. Okay, so um.great. Okay." Her words trailed off as Jess slowly took a step toward her. Rory felt weak. He placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her softly. He wrapped his other hand around the small of her back and deepened the kiss. Rory took Jess's hand in hers and led him to her room never breaking contact with his lips. Once inside her room, Rory pinned Jess up against the back of her bedroom door. She broke away for a moment just to look at him. Her attention then went to his shirt which she slowly began to unbutton. They clumsily moved over to the bed while trying desperately to keep their lips locked. Jess stumbled onto the bed, and Rory landed straddled on top of him. She ran her hands over his now bare chest and planted small kisses down his neck and along his shoulders. She could feel his arousal in his pants which only heightened her excitement, and she met his lips again.  
  
"Rory, we should stop," Jess pulled away, breathing heavily. Rory's eyes were deep with desire, and as her eyes met his, she straightened herself on top of him and began unbuttoning her shirt. Jess took a deep breath and then sat up. He parted Rory's shirt, running his fingers along the top of her bra and then leaving soft, wet kisses along her neck moving down to her chest. He slipped the strap of her bra off her shoulder and then slowly moved his hands around her back to remove it. Rory whimpered as it fell to her side. Jess didn't hesitate. He anxiously began to kiss and suck at her nipples as Rory began to groan and grind against him. He then flipped her on her back and lay between her legs, "Rory, tell me to stop," he begged. Rory responded by kissing him deeply and slipping off her shorts. Jess groaned. Now lying by her side, he left a trail of kisses along her neck with his hand on her hip. Rory took his hand and guided it to remove the last of her undergarments. His hand then made its way back up her thighs. Rory was wet with anticipation. Jess knew she and Dean had never gone nearly this far, and it frightened him a little. He'd never been with a virgin, much less anyone he really cared about. 'Thank God I've always been careful,' he thought to himself. He pushed a finger into her core, and Rory let out a gasp, "Jess!" He was going crazy and had to rest his head against hers. He watched her move against his hand. She was so beautiful. He couldn't believe he was with her like this. It had been the reason he was afraid to kiss her, for fear he wouldn't be able to stop. And here he was, with the most innocent, beautiful girl he had ever known, and she wanted him. She climaxed quickly, and as she lay on the bed adoring him, he removed his pants and reached into his wallet to grab a small packet. He lowered himself over her, "Rory," he looked at her, his eyes asking for permission. She again responded with a deep kiss, "I want you inside me," she whispered in his ear, "please," she begged. He kissed her passionately and entered her slowly. They both moaned in the sensation. "I'm sorry for hurting you, baby," he whispered. "You feel incredible," she whimpered. They started moving together, slowly and passionately at first, then faster and harder. Rory wrapped her legs around Jess's body, and the two groaned until Jess collapsed over Rory covering her face with soft kisses.  
  
They were both breathing heavily. "Wow," Rory sighed. She lifted Jess's chin to face her, but he resisted. Then she caught a glimpse of his face. And then felt them on her shoulder. Tears. She held him tightly and stroked his hair until they both fell asleep.  
  
Later that night, Jess awoke to find Rory sitting up at the side of the bed watching him. "I know I don't have much experience, but did I do okay? I mean, was it okay for you?" she asked quietly.  
  
Jess moved beside her and brushed his lips across the nape of her neck, "You're the best time I've ever had." Rory smiled and pulled Jess into a hug.  
  
The End. 


End file.
